Thiazol-2-ylidenes as N-Heterocyclic carbene ligands with enhanced electrophilicity for transition metal catalysis

Abstract

N-heterocyclic carbenes are widely exploited as ligands in transition metal catalysis, but are largely limited to N-arylimidazolylidenes. Here, the authors report on the steric and electronic properties of thiazol-2-ylidenes, demonstrating that their enhanced π-electrophilicity makes them attractive as carbene ligands in transition metal-catalysed electrophilic cyclization reactions.